#39-C: DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE (1995)

THRILL SCALE 1-10

8.5

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Yes, but just like Die Hard 2, only once shortly after seeing the first one for the first time

BEST SEQUENCE

This might seem like an odd choice because John's not in it, but the sequence of Simon's plan coming to fruition is pretty damn slick. In terms of action scenes involving John McClane, I love watching him drive a taxi right through the lawns and footpaths of Central Park

BEST LINE

"There's a difference, you know, between not liking one's brother and not caring when some dumb Irish flatfoot drops him out of a window."

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

60%

- WOW that seems low to me. That's even lower than Die Hard 2

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"Die Hard with a Vengeance benefits from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson's barbed interplay, but clatters to a bombastic finish in a vain effort to cover for an overall lack of fresh ideas."

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"John McClane is forced out of suspension to play a game of "Simon Says" by a terrorist who has planted bombs all around New York City and will detonate them if McClane doesn't do what he says."

DIRECTOR

John McTiernan

MAIN CAST

Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons, Larry Bryggman

THOUGHTS

• Now this is how you do a sequel!
• It's different enough from the original movie that it's still worth watching on its own, and the changes that are made are replaced or enhanced by new enjoyable qualities. For example: Die Hard 1 is great because it's one cop, all on his own, and he's the only guy who can save the day. Die Hard 2 had him constantly surrounded by people, with supporting characters and allies, but no one I really cared about. With a Vengeance effectively splits the difference: due to the nature of Simon's plan John needs to be the hero again, and while he's not strictly working alone, he has fantastic chemistry and a fun dynamic with Samuel L. Jackson as Zeus
• Also, crucially, Jeremy Irons' Simon is a great villain, while not quite as great as Alan Rickman. But I'll say this for Simon: what a fashion icon! That HAIR! Those little SUNGLASSES! That sassy SHIRT! Slay, Simon. Slay
• Another difference between this movie and the first one: Die Hard got a lot of mileage out of the confined setting and John being unable to escape the building. Vengeance swaps that for a fantastic sense of scale. This is a really terrific New York City movie, and watching John and Zeus bounce all around the city is half the fun. This also means that Vengeance has some tremendous car stunts and sequences, which the first one couldn't really include, for the aforementioned "confined to a building" reason
• And I'll admit, this is a movie that I mostly remember because of the first hour or so, as it does run a little long, but the whole package is still really great. I also quite liked Simon's brainteasers and riddles, and I liked what they added to the movie's structure. They also kind of reminded me of The Game or The Dark Knight, in a way
• And that's about all I have to say about the Die Hard franchise! As I mentioned previously, there are still two later movies that I didn't really care to review; I don't even think I've seen the last movie, A Good Day to Die Hard
• Finally, I also wanted to mention, this is the last Bruce Willis movie I'll review, but he had a fantastic showing in these reviews and in general. It was tragic to hear of Willis's dementia diagnosis, and I just want to say one more time, thanks for all the wonderful movies, Mr. Willis. You're a film icon and your work will not be forgotten anytime soon
• P.S. Everyone watch this video - Die Hard by Guyz Nite

Up next: Hitchcock's 3rd movie on the list, and another one that I haven't seen before, Notorious

#39-B: DIE HARD 2 (1990)

THRILL SCALE 1-10

6.5

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Yes, but only once, shortly after I saw the first Die Hard for the first time

BEST SEQUENCE

When the bad guy messes with a plane's altimeter reading, causing it to crash right into the ground

BEST LINE

Honestly, there aren't that many good lines, so I'll just go with "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker" again

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

68%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"It lacks the fresh thrills of its predecessor, but Die Hard 2 still works as an over-the-top -- and reasonably taut -- big-budget sequel, with plenty of set pieces to paper over the plot deficiencies."

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"One year after the Nakatomi Plaza incident, John McClane faces off against terrorists who seize control of Washington Dulles Airport's systems on Christmas Eve, endangering multiple incoming flights, including one carrying his wife, Holly."

DIRECTOR

Renny Harlin

MAIN CAST

Bruce Willis, William Sadler, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton, Reginald VelJohnson, Franco Nero, John Amos, Dennis Franz

THOUGHTS

• I'm being hard on Die Hard 2. It's a perfectly serviceable action movie. However, it has the misfortune of coming right after, and being compared to, one of the greatest action movies ever made and it just doesn't stack up
• I've said it before, for a sequel to justify its own existence it needs to be different enough that you wouldn't be better off just rewatching the original instead. Unfortunately, Die Hard 2 does nothing to improve upon the first one, and it actually changes a lot of the qualities that made the first movie so great
• Die Hard was about one man in a mostly empty skyscraper taking down the bad guys with no allies to help him. In Die Hard 2 John McClane is constantly surrounded by people in an airport, and even though he does a lot of the heavy lifting he's not the only person who can save the day
• Add to that the fact that William Sadler can't hold a candle to Alan Rickman in the main villain role; he's a much less interesting antagonist and it's a much less entertaining performance (although naked tai chi in a hotel is a pretty memorable way to introduce a character, I will admit). I don't even think it was William Sadler's fault, he just didn't have much to work with
• And finally, Bruce Willis is good as always with the action stuff, but while the one-liners and wisecracks in the first movie felt organic and clever, in this one they feel forced and hacky. I don't think I laughed once
• Die Hard 2 isn't even very Christmasy. It's set during the Christmas season, but it's really just more wintery and snowy than Christmas-themed. Speaking of being wintery and snowy, the best kill is probably when one of the bad guys takes an icicle to the eye
• So, if you're in the mood for seeing more of John McClane and you don't feel like watching the first Die Hard again, then sure, Die Hard 2 exists. However, there's really nothing about Die Hard 2 that would ever make me pick it over its predecessor. I did want to mention, there was one notable dissenting opinion back when this movie was released. Roger Ebert, whose opinions I generally agree with, did not like the first Die Hard (2/4 stars) and he loved Die Hard 2 (3.5/4 stars). Love ya, Roger, but you were wrong on this one

Up next: Let's try watching a good Die Hard sequel, for a change. I can't remember the last time I saw it, but from what I recall, Die Hard with a Vengeance knew what it was doing (and yes, Ebert liked Vengeance better than the first one also; 3/4 stars)